NFL Draft: Detroit Lions Options Plentiful In The First Round

So far the Detroit Lions offseason has not gone as planned.  The team has lost the core rotation in the middle of the defensive line and although they were able to trade for Haloti Ngata, the defenisve line is not nearly as deep as it once was.

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The Haloti Hgata trade is presents a double-edged sword for the Lions defense.  On one hand the Detroit Lions were able to plug a gaping hole in the center of the defense but that trade also brought Gnats’s sizeable salary which ate up most of the savings left by the departure of Ndamukong Suh.  The result has been a few second tier signings which would be fine for a team looking for pieces to add depth but the Lions have big holes to fill in other areas that have gone unaddressed in free agency.

Fortunately for the Lions there are plenty of options at the 21st pick even though they pick in the later half of the opening round. In fact if draft guru’s predictions for the first round come anywhere close to being true the Lions should be able to address three different needs in each of the first three rounds.

The depth of prospects available at defensive tackle, offensive line and running back come along just when the Lions have the most holes to fill via the draft.  Depending on how the Lions draft they could get three impactful starters out of their top three picks.

Here is a quick look at the prospects for the Lions top three positions of need according to Mel Kiper. 

Offensive Tackle

Brandon Schreff – Iowa

La’el Collins – LSU

Andrus Peat – Stanford

Ereck Flowers – Miami (FLA)

Jake Fisher – Oregon

Defensive Tackle

Danny Shelton – Washington

Malcom Brown – Texas

Eddie Goldman – Florida State

Jordan Phillips – Oklahoma*

Carl Davis – Iowa

Xavier Cooper – Washington State*

Running Back

Todd Gurley – Georgia*

Melvin Gordon III – Wisconsin

Tevin Colman – Indiana*

Jay Ajayi – Boise State

Ameer Abdulah – Nebraska

Detroit Jock City Draft Coverage

DJC draft coverage begins this week with a daily look at the 2015 Detroit Lions draft including draft needs, positional breakdowns and player profiles.  Then log on April 30th for Detroit Jock City’s coverage of first round and then all weekend as the Detroit Jock City staff breaks down the Detroit Lions picks.